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HHH4250....felt like it at least
August 28, 2006Now that I've had a few days to recover....man, it was hot.
Easily hotter than either of the previous two years that I've covered. This time, the ride lived up to it's name. On the 25th anniversary no less.
So...here are the 24 photos from my weekend of the Hotter-H-Hell 100. Enjoy.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Hate to say I told you so...
It only took me about 1 day after they said they arrested this John Mark Karr fellow to figure out that this was simply too good to be true....
turns out I was right.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Nickelback
August 25, 2006As usual...guess who got tabbed to go shoot another concert in the Falls.
Me. Yea.
Now, going to a concert is awesome. You don't really have that many rules, except rock out and don't get killed.
Photographers on the other hand....it's a bit of a different deal.
First of all...as I'm walking up to the Kay Yeager, loaded down with a laptop and camera gear...I immediately notice the humorous mix of teen angst rockers and bikers in spandex. That makes me laugh more than you know.
So...my first move is to head to the Will Call window to pick up my press kit. That usually includes my all-access pass and tickets to get in the door. Now, if I have an "all access" pass...you'd think that I wouldn't really need a ticket right? I know...it doesn't make sense to me either.
Okay, so I pick up my stuff...even though it's not in my name. The boss man thought he'd be shooting the concert, so I had to convince the ticket folks that I was really shooting it for the paper. As if hauling around 2 cameras, a huge lens and a laptop bag wasn't evidence enough.
So I'm in the door...and my first order of business is to find somebody in charge so I can get my rules list.
Yeah...I have rules at a concert. Usually they are: Stand here. No Flash. Only shoot the first three songs. Leave.
The three songs bit is so that all the super cool pyros at the end of the show are a "secret" and that the people who will see the show in the coming days/weeks are "surprised." That's rarely the case however. But they are rules to be followed.
What concerned me more than anything was where do I stand? Usually, concerts at the KYC are not general admission...meaning, they have a dedicated seating structure. Nickelback was not so. There were 1000s of people crammed together on the floor as close to the stage as possible. This concerned me greatly, as I'm carrying about $10,000 worth of equipment on my shoulders.
So, I'm on an immediate search for the tour manager. He's the only one who knows exactly where he wants me to be. Not only for the best vantage point for photos, but also a measure of safety in the throng of crowd-surfing rockers.
It didn't take long to find him....only about 30 minutes. This really isn’t that bad honestly. All I had to do was stand in the wrong spot and look like I was taking pictures when I shouldn't have been. Works like a charm every time.
So this tour manager, tattooed and very large, actually has a diagramed map for me. After berating me for a few minutes (okay, we were both short with each other), I made him understand that I was TRYING to get his attention so that I could find out straight from the horses mouth what was going on.
Same general rules as usual....3 songs, no flash, stand at the front of the page only. Okay good...I know what I'm supposed to do to not get arrested. That's a huge comfort to me. I finally started to relax.
So...Hoobastank finally takes the stage, and the shooting commences. Three songs go by pretty quickly...even though I fired off about 200 shots. Low lighting and constant color changes make it necessary to shoot that much just to make sure that I get a couple decent shots and emotion good enough to make the paper. Red, then blue light...back and forth. Great if you're just watching the show...difficult if you're me.
Three songs and I'm heading up to the TRN suite to e-mail the photos back to the paper as quickly as possible. I'm a huge Clearwire fan, and have my whole setup working like a dream in a few minutes. Because of deadlines, they have to run a photo of Hoobastank in the paper. Nickelback just takes the stage to late for the newspaper...but they can run pictures online.
After going through all those shots, picking out a few, and sending them to the office...I grab a bottle of water and head back to the floor for the main act. With a few minutes to spare.
Finally...Nickelback gets set to hit the stage. And it scares the crap out of everybody in the building.
All of a sudden, and without ANY kind of warning...the lights go black and there is a massive explosion. I mean, like something went wrong kind of explosion. I was facing the other way when it went off, and I expected to turn around to flaming debris and was pulling my camera to my face to shoot it.
It scared me....badly. Just like Nickelback wanted. That's how they roll.
Any who...the first three songs were really just a blur, I actually can't remember if I stopped shooting after the second or third. Went back to the suite, e-mailed more pictures. And viola...it's over.
I didn't even get to enjoy but about 2 songs the entire night. But they rocked.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
FDA approves Sex
The FDA has pretty much given the go-ahead for teenage girls across the country to start having unprotected sex behind their parents backs.
They have approved the non-prescription morning-after pill.
Why else would you call the product "Plan B"
That's it's name....really. Manufactured by Barr Pharmaceuticals. I'm going to assume that Plan A would be self control and pulling out or using a condom?
This new product can easily be bought over the counter by any girl over the age of 18 with ID at a drug store. You can't pick it up at the gas station yet...although I'm sure that day is coming soon.
Of course, that simply means that if you're not 18...find somebody who is to buy it for you. Really a no-brainer there.
How many smokers do you know that aren't 18 yet. Ever wonder where they get them? The same friends who'll buy these pills for them. Or even better, you could have a corner market at high school, selling them out of your locker.
Actually...it doesn't have to be the morning after specifically...it can be taken up to 72 hours laters. Of course, I suppose you could take it several times a week if you catch my drift.
Now, I know there can be benefits to this sort of thing too. Perhaps we can cut into the number of unplanned pregnancies by the degenerates of society. God knows that people on drugs shouldn't be having children.
But neither should high school students....and they'll benefit the most from this pill.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Adios Pluto
August 24, 2006Okay, I'm no rocket scientist....but the leading astronomers have done a huge dis-service to the education system.
Do you have any idea how much it's going to cost to reprint the 1000s of science books that include Pluto as one of the planets of the solar system?
In case you didn't hear...Pluto is no longer a planet.
Not because it blew up or drifted into a black hole or anything...but because we didn't like it any more.
I mean, seriously....what a huge nerd convention this must have been. Thousands of grown men arguing about what is and isn't an "official" planet.
Not to be totally dismissed though...Pluto classifies as a "dwarf" planet..or I like to call them, a little person planet.
Why, you may ask would they take the noble title of planet away from pluto? Because it didn't meet these three new rules.
(1) It must have enough mass and gravity to gather itself into a ball.
(2) It must orbit the sun.
(3) It must reign supreme in its own orbit, having "cleared the neighborhood" of other competing bodies.
Now, most of you probably think that it does meet all of those....but, Pluto's orbit is oblong, and runs inside of Neptune occasionally. That's a disqualification.
I'll be honest, I didn't know that it crossed Neptune. I probably learned that back in the 4th grade or something, but i really had no idea.
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight.After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status it has held since its discovery in 1930. The new definition of what is -- and isn't -- a planet fills a centuries-old black hole for scientists who have labored since Copernicus without one.
Although astronomers applauded after the vote, Jocelyn Bell Burnell -- a specialist in neutron stars from Northern Ireland who oversaw the proceedings -- urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.
"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.
The decision by the prestigious international group spells out the basic tests that celestial objects will have to meet before they can be considered for admission to the elite cosmic club.
For now, membership will be restricted to the eight "classical" planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."
Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's.
Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of "dwarf planets," similar to what long have been termed "minor planets." The definition also lays out a third class of lesser objects that orbit the sun -- "small solar system bodies," a term that will apply to numerous asteroids, comets and other natural satellites.
It was unclear how Pluto's demotion might affect the mission of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which earlier this year began a 91/2-year journey to the oddball object to unearth more of its secrets.
The decision at a conference of 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries was a dramatic shift from just a week ago, when the group's leaders floated a proposal that would have reaffirmed Pluto's planetary status and made planets of its largest moon and two other objects.
That plan proved highly unpopular, splitting astronomers into factions and triggering days of sometimes combative debate that led to Pluto's undoing.
Now, two of the objects that at one point were cruising toward possible full-fledged planethood will join Pluto as dwarfs: the asteroid Ceres, which was a planet in the 1800s before it got demoted, and 2003 UB313, an icy object slightly larger than Pluto whose discoverer, Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, has nicknamed "Xena."
Charon, the largest of Pluto's three moons, is no longer under consideration for any special designation.
Brown was pleased by the decision. He had argued that Pluto and similar bodies didn't deserve planet status, saying that would "take the magic out of the solar system."
"UB313 is the largest dwarf planet. That's kind of cool," he said.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Snakes in a Theatre
August 22, 2006Okay...first of all. I have no intentions of seeing the new scary movie "Snakes on a Plane"
I don't like snakes. I'm like the Indiana Jones of the newspaper.
One of the scariest things I've ever seen was the Waurika Rattlesnake Roundup.
Now...not only do I know want to see this movie, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to see anything in a theatre for a long time.
Apparently...two kids let two real rattlesnakes loose in a theatre during a showing of the movie.
Good.....God.
First of all...I don't care what kind of snakes they are. That's retarded. I'd have peed my pants faster than you could possibly imagine had one of those snakes crawled over my foot. They have rides at Disneyworld like this....where you "think" something is there, like rats running by or whatever.
But it's not the real thing. It's not a real snake. These kids need to be beaten within an inch of their lives for a dumb stunt like this. I'd volunteer for the job. Just give me a snake-skin boot to kick their kneecaps with.
Secondly...these snakes could have killed somebody. Not injured..they could have killed. These kids should be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Probably one of the dumbest stunts I've heard in a long time. How do you even get a hold of 2 rattlesnakes and release them without getting bit yourself.
Two live diamondback rattlesnakes were released in an Arizona movie theater during a showing of the new film "Snakes on a Plane," according to Local 6 News.Authorities said pranksters released the young venomous rattlesnakes in a dark theater at the AMC Desert Ridge near Tatum and Loop 101 in Phoenix.
The two snakes caused a panic in the dark theater, according to the report.
"That to me is very scary," herpetological association representative Tom Whiting said. "I would hate to be watching a movie about snakes and have a rattlesnake bite me."
Wranglers were called to collect the snakes, the report said.
No one was injured in the incident and, so far, the culprits have not been caught.
Officials believe the snakes were smuggled into the theater in backpacks.
"This thing is under someone's chair and they go to sit and they just push your foot in the air and startle it -- obviously all they got to do is startle this thing," Phoenix Herpetological Society spokesman Daniel Marchand said. "It's dark. They can't see you, you know that well. If it's scared, boom it strikes."
The snakes were released into the desert.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
"Little" League World Series
August 21, 2006I was never a big kid on the baseball field growing up. I didn't hit my growth spurt until High School.
I've always been a little bit tall....but not like this.
There's a kid at the "Little" League World Series who is actually bigger than most Major League baseball players...not just taller...bigger.
If there was ever a reason make the field dimensions bigger for this All-Star tournament...this would be one of them.
This kid is 6'8"......six feet and eight inches. He's 13. He's 13 and 256 pounds. Do you understand this? What on earth are they doing on a field with children in children sized bodies.
This kid could KILL somebody with a line drive. And I'm not talking about just the pitcher...and of the fielders, or people in the stands or for that matter....beyond the short outfield wall. You are all in danger of instant death if this giant kid gets a hold of one.
No joke...he's bigger than Shaq was at this age. He'll probably be bigger than Shaq entirely by the time he starts driving.
Thankfully, he plays basketball too. A far less lethal sport for those he's playing against.
AP Photo
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) -- Aaron Durley towers over the competition at the Little League World Series.
The 13-year-old first baseman for Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, stands an imposing 6-foot-8 and weighs 256 pounds.
"I was standing next to him and I was up to his elbows," Scott Kingery, a 12-year-old, 4-foot-9 Phoenix shortstop, said after meeting Durley.
At the secluded dorms where teams stay during the tournament, Durley has become as much of an attraction as the pool, the pingpong table and the video arcade.
The soft-spoken Durley doesn't mind the attention. He even lets opponents snap pictures with him during down time.
But Durley, who played at the series last year, too -- when he was a mere 6-foot-4 -- is crystal-clear about his top priority in South Williamsport.
"I'm more confident this year, ready to do what I need to do," Durley said after a practice. "Hit the ball out."
Fittingly, his favorite major leaguer is David "Big Papi" Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox slugger.
Durley, batting fifth, didn't hit a homer, but he walked twice, singled and scored a run Sunday when his Arabian American squad from Dhahran defeated Saipan, 9-1. Saudi Arabia (2-0) stands a good chance of advancing out of pool play after failing to win a game last year....
Arabian American is a fixture at the World Series, having qualified the last seven years, and 12 of the last 13. The players' parents primarily work for oil companies in the Middle East.
The team has a peculiar baseball superstition -- the players dye their hair blond for the World Series.
As if Durley wasn't easy enough to pick out in a crowd.
Columbia, Mo., manager Jeff Echelmeier watched Durley attract attention while the player was standing on a porch near a path to the cafeteria.
"About four teams came through, and everyone wanted to know how tall he was," Echelmeier said. "He said 'About 6-foot-8' about 40 times in a row."
He's still growing, too. Durley only shared the tallest-player designation last year. Series sponsors who shower players with free equipment didn't have new spikes readily available for Durley, who wears size 19 shoes.
Aaron's mother, Dana Durley, said her son didn't understand how much taller he was than most kids until he stayed at the Little League dorms last year.
"He takes it in stride," she said Sunday night after her son's team won. "He's been reared to say that the only thing you can control is your behavior. You can't control what other people think."
Aaron, who also plays basketball, isn't the only tall guy on his team. Durley nearly stands toe-to-toe with his manager and father, James Durley.
Dhahran pitcher and outfielder Michael Knight is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. Five-foot-8, 226-pound, third baseman Andrew Holden is a dangerous hitter, having homered twice in the series, including a three-run blast against Saipan.
Team followers said it was just coincidence that there were so many tall players on the squad.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Kicked out of school for red hair
August 18, 2006A North Crowley High School student has been suspended for having red hair.
This reeks of stupidity already doesn't it....
Now...Meisha Franklin is African American. So, technically, I suppose that "red" hair would be unnatural if you're completely racist. I'm pretty sure that the number of natural blondes vs. bleached blondes is staggeringly skewed.
Here's the story, from WFAA in Fort Worth...there are a few pictures on their website if you're interested is getting a visual.
FORT WORTH — Meisha Franklin said her senior year at North Crowley High School was off to a good start—until she was called into the principal's office on Thursday."At first I thought it was my dress code, because my shirt was kind of out a little bit," she said.
But the problem didn't have anything to do with what Franklin was wearing. Instead, the problem was focused on her head.
Principal Trent Lovette said Meisha's hair violated the code that states no "unnatural" hair colors are allowed.
"You want students to look their best," Lovette said.
Meisha's mother, Kelicia Franklin—a church youth director and state office employee—said the policy has left her confused. "When I go to the workplace, I look presentable," she said.
Mother and daughter color their hair the same shade of red, which Kelicia Franklin said she finds a tasteful choice for many African-American women. "If you are going to continue to have African-American students in your school, you need to learn their culture," she said.
Meisha's mom also said she was bothered by the school's definition of "natural." Lovette said for black students, the rules would permit blonde hair.
"So, you're telling me my daughter has to have 'natural' hair color, or it has to be blonde?" Franklin asked.
Lovette said he is sticking by the wording of the code. "We want to eliminate as many distractions as possible," he said. "We need students to be about success at school."
Lovette said every day Meisha shows up at school with red hair, she will have to serve an in-school suspension. Her mother was scheduled to discuss the issue with school officials on Friday.
Lovette said the dress code was crafted by a team that included parents and teachers. He would not say how many other students have been disciplined for similar hair infractions.
The most retarded part of this policy from North Crowley....that blonde hair on black students would actually be acceptable. HUH?! Talk about unnatural.
I've seen exactly one black man with naturally blonde hair. And he's an albino black guy, so that doesn't even really count in my book.
I'd be willing to bet that if wouldn't take long to find a pretty white girl with what I call dishwater colored hair.
That would be various shades of streaking brown, blonde and a hint of red. You could probably find something like that on the cheerleading squad.
Even streaked hair is unnatural, unless you are a tiger or zebra. Why don't they just ban all hair coloring at North Crowley? No fake tanning either. Being orange is unnatural.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Changed my mind...this guy is a fraud
August 17, 2006Okay...maybe it's just the conspiracy theory in me, but John Mark Karr isn't making any sense.
There is already a laundry list of random accusations and statements that make me firmly believe this guy is just a total nut and NOT actually guilty of killing JonBennet Ramsey.
Okay...get ready to follow along and decide for yourself.
Karr claims that he drugged her and had sex with her, and somehow accidentally killed her.
But the autopsy results show there were no drugs or alcohol found in her body. I'm sure they didn't just fudge this one.
Also, the autopsy pretty much indicates that she was strangled and beaten to death fairly brutally. You don't accidentally strangle somebody. Strangulation is not a quick death. This guy isn't making a whole lot of sense to me.
A story from the Rocky Mountain News says "investigators in Thailand have told the Associated Press that Karr has made several other statements to them, including claims that he picked JonBenet up from school the day she was killed..."
She was killed on December 26th.....do Colorado students not have Christmas breaks? Another piece of the puzzle that just doesn't fit.
So far, Karr hasn't been able to come up with a good enough excuse as to how he even knew the family. How did he get into the basement, or the house for that matter. The Ramsey's are claiming they've never met this guy.
His ex-wife says he was in Georgia with him....actually, she claims there wasn't a Christmas holiday between 1989 and 2000 that he wasn't there.
I'm glad that the major media outlets are picking up on this and all the other inconsistancies of this story....it's too weird to let go.
My opinion...he's just a nut and should probably be put away for being a creepy weirdo.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Suspect arrested in JonBenet Ramsey case
August 16, 2006Well well well.....perhaps the creepy parents weren't guilty of killing their child after all.
A suspect has been arrested "for the December 26, 1996, murder of JonBenet Ramsey," the district attorney in Boulder, Colorado, said Wednesday.A law enforcement source identified the suspect as 41-year-old John Mark Karr, a one-time school teacher and American citizen who has lived in Conyers, Georgia.
It is the first arrest in the decade-long investigation of child beauty pageant contestant's slaying. The breakthrough came as a surprise to many who feared the case might never be solved.
Karr was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, following "several months of focused and complex investigation," District Attorney Mary Lacy said.
But....her parents are still guilty if you ask me.
Guilty of turning their child into a creepy beauty pageant doll.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I'm a lazy blogger
Okay...I'm sorry for not writing for several days. I haven't had anything really inspire me to words at the moment.
Plus, we've actually been busy around here the last week. Football season is approaching and I've been going out and shooting practice a lot.
That's okay with me though, I love shooting football.
But I'll try and find something to blog about before the end of the day.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wildfires...the usual mortal danger
August 11, 2006Okay...if you are my girlfriend or my mom, you might not want to read this one.
Long story short...it's just another tale of me getting squarely in the middle of mortal danger. That's my job I guess. Showing the stuff that hopefully moves the casual newspaper reader to say something like...
"Oh my gosh, how'd he get that."
Case in point...there was a pretty big wildfire south of Electra yesterday. I, of course, resisted going because we've pretty much beaten grass fires to death at the paper here.
My boss has pretty much said that we shouldn't bother with these almost daily menaces unless there are lives and homes in danger. Most of the time, these fires are in rural areas where the only thing to burn is open prairie and scrub brush.
I completely agree. We do that every now and then up here...get 1 topic in our heads that we think we need a picture of every day. Gas prices on signs, something showing that it's hot, yada yada.
Anyways, so I finally gave up and went up there. Now, granted, this was a larger fire than most that we've had, maybe 2000 acres or so. But it was in the middle of nowhere.
I'm clearly driving towards the fire as it's advancing towards me. The smoke was drifting north...and I was driving from the north towards it. I stop to snap a couple of shots of the smoke plume towering over me and starting to block out the sun.
I've got this huge map that shows all the county roads and dirt roads through oil leases and whatnot...very up to date. So...I'm cruising on FM 2384 south, parallel to the fire...and realize that I've gone past it. I pulled a u-turn and came back to a dirt road that obviously heads right into the fire.
This road goes straight west...but then makes a hard southward turn. I knew that I wouldn't be able to make that turn, surely the police would be there blocking me.
So, here I am, with a decision to make. This is clearly the only road that is going to get me close enough, quick enough to the action to do my job and take photographs other than a plume of smoke in the distance.
This is also clearly going to put me right in the path of a fast-moving and dangerous wildfire. Not beside it...IN THE PATH OF. I started driving down that dirt road.
Then I stopped. I'm about 200 yards from 15-20 foot flames jumping around the mesquite. I didn't want to go any farther. I stayed in my truck for a minute and just watched as a few fire trucks cruised past me and turned into a field.
For no apparent reason...I hit the gas. I started up that road again and came close to the intersection where my dirt road went south. There was another dirt road that went north. I decided THAT would be my escape route when I needed it.
I bailed out of my aptly named Escape and ran towards a fence where three dozen head of cattle had run towards trying to escape the flames. That's when the whole thing flared up right in front of me. Close enough to feel the heat and sense the terror in the cattle.
I'll be honest...in that moment, I was scared too. I looked behind me up the road I had just traveled down...and the fire had jumped it about 300 yards behind me. The main head of the blaze had split and I was in between them. One of my two routes out of there was gone.
It is really an amazing sensation when you are standing face to face with a power of nature like this. Even though I was standing in the smoke field...I don't remember smelling smoke until I was on the way home. But the sounds were unreal. Just the crackling and whooshing sound alone gives me chills thinking about it.
I made a couple of other photographs and sprinted back to my truck because the fire had jumped the road heading south and was quickly cutting across a field that would block my path to the north. I took one last shot before David Duke said that "I'd better evacuate the area...now."
I went north....fast. I've seen wildfires cut across open prairie at 50 mph....and heard of it going up to 70 mph if the wind is right. I knew that I didn't want any part of what was about to happen there.
I drove up to Hwy. 25 and found a nice vantage point overlooking the area I was just in and the 1000s of acres already charred. I pulled out the big lens and waited for a good flare up at the head of the fire. Well...the fire didn't disappoint.
These flames are easily between 15-30 feet high. I'm looking at them from a distance of several hundred yards....maybe 600-800. And they were huge on the landscape.
Sometimes I wonder why on earth I do stuff like that...putting myself squarely in harm's way for the sake of a good photograph. I've never really been a good casual observer.
Mom...Courtney...if you DID go ahead and read this, I'm sorry. I'd like to tell you that it won't happen again....but it will.
And I'll be out there somewhere in the middle of it.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
The Ultimate Cool....The Suicide Soda
August 9, 2006So I'm waiting in line to fill up with a drink at the McDonald's on Holliday, and three young boys are milling about....taking their time.
I'm eternally patient with kids, so this was no big deal. But it was funny to watch what happened.
One after another...the trio put a little of every one of the drinks on the tap in their cups. A mixture known as:
The Suicide.
From left to right, they filled their cups with:
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Hi-C Orange, Blue Mountain PowerAde, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper and Lemonade.
These kids were the coolest kids in the entire land.
I remember this odd drink combo growing up. I have no idea why anybody would actually do it, but it was cool if you did. So of course, I did. I didn't want to be the sissy boy who couldn't handle 7 beverages mixed together at once.
The youngest of the three (maybe 2-3 years younger) followed suit without questioning the rationality of the moment. All he knew was that it was cool to drink everything. I just stood their smiling. I didn't know this was still a cool thing for kids to do.
What's odd is...I don't remember at what age this becomes not cool anymore. I know it did eventually. But when? Ten...12 years old?
What makes me smile more is this isn't just some fad. I don't remember it being cool to wear skin-tight spandex shirts. How long was it wide-spread cool to wear black Converse All-Stars. But I remember Suicide Sodas.
Not that I'd ever try one again....that's gross now.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Dinner...with the Fam.
August 8, 2006Okay, it's been a week, I guess I'd better finish telling this story.
So, to recap, my girlfriend Courtney is meeting my family for the first time. And if you know anything about the Palmer Clan...that's really funny.
So, after hugging my two sisters and being introduced to my mom...we sat down for dinner.
Of course, it's a BBQ joint...and Courtney wanted the brisket.
As soon as she said that...and not some dainty salad...I knew she'd fit in perfectly.
We spent most of the dinner laughing and joking around. Courtney actually told me that she wouldn't have minded if she could have ditched me and just hung out with my sisters.
Ditch the boyfriend....to hang out with the rest of the family. Crud, I've gotta step it up a bit I suppose.
Needless to say, she was a hit with the female half of the family. Now, the looming task of introducing her to my dad and our two dogs was a few hours away. Before we went home, we walked around downtown and saw the cool sights and whatnot.
Besides...my dad was playing golf until it was too dark to see his ball and mom wanted to give him enough warning time to shower and get dressed. THAT....could have been embarrassing.
So finally...we make it to the parent’s house, and I knew that Courtney would be a hit when she became so engrossed in watching M.A.S.H. on our 57-inch television that I had to stand between her and it to get her attention....juuuuuuuuuust like my dad.
Dad asked her about opera (like he has any clue) and did his best to make conversation. The dogs warmed up quickly too...much faster than I thought they would.
All in all...I'd say it was just about perfect. And to top it all off...she got a hug from both mom and dad when we left. That surprised me more than anything. My mom is a big-ole softy, I expected that. But not from my dad. I don't know why, that just made my day.
Courtney couldn't stop giggling about the entire 2-hour drive home. Superstition....busted.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Power...Blowing in the Wind
August 7, 2006In case you missed the Sunday paper...there is a huge debate in the counties surrounding Wichita Falls regarding the massive electricity-providing windmills.
These are the ones that would dominate the landscape. Towering high above the hills and plains, perhaps lowering property values and perhaps providing enough power for entire cities.
But make no mistake, they are big. I've been to Palm Springs, where they have entire mountains covered in them, and they are huge.
But what if you could fit one in your backyard?
I saw a story on CBS Evening News last night about a couple in New Jersey who have purchased their own backyard wind generator (much to the chagrin of their neighborhood associations).
About 30-40 ft tall (can be up to 110 ft.) and a rotor span of 12 feet....it would stick out likes a sore thumb in a suburban neighborhood in a big city.
But is that all together different than the old radio antenna towers?
Just like their larger brothers, the opponents say they'll kill birds and be too loud. The huge glass piles outside of PPG kill birds too. They think its water and crash into them. Where's the public outcry against that?
As for the noise...well, I guess. I think it's a good kind of noise. Beats the highway noise. Or the Sheppard noise.
Anyways...I can't see how this doesn't make sense. Let's build a windmill that will power your house virtually year round. Every ranch, farm, and country community resident should be seriously considering this. The upfront cost is about $5,000-6,000. But given the electric costs and average wind speed...it could pay for itself in 5 years. Even if it takes 10 years...how is this not a good idea?
When you have a 30-year mortgage on a nice house out in the country...and say only pay for 2-months worth of electricity a year from TXU...that sounds like a pretty good financial option doesn't it?
As long as the wind is more than 8 mph...You’re getting electricity. You could store it if the wind is high enough. You could keep your house at a balmy 72 without worrying if your bill is going to be $300.
I know this wouldn't fly in the Country Club or whatever...but good lord this sounds like a good idea to me.
Think of how many wind-mills there are out there, pumping water from the ground. They are running out of their usefulness in these parts. The water is drying up. It will be gone eventually.
You think the wind is going to suddenly stop in Texas?
Here's the company's info. sheet on this product...give it a look.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Texas School District bans cleavage
August 5, 2006Yeah...that's right. No more boob-shirts in the schools in one district.
I'll admit, as soon as I saw this story, I thought of Wichita Falls, where the good church-going influence might have easily put a similar ban on things.
But no. It’s not here. Surprising to me, it's Arlington. Smack in the middle of the metroplex.
Now, I think it's unfortunate to take away one of the great joys of public schooling.... freshman drooling over the hot senior girls after they get their first real glimpse of cleavage.
Of course, I'm sure you can tie in low TAKS scores somehow though. Seems like that's all the public schools care about anyways.
Now, they've got rules on skirts and shorts being too "revealing" ... add on the no baggy pants for guys, no thug-branded shirts, no this and no that. No low-cut shirts.... seriously, why not just go to a uniform.
I remember my junior year of high school (in 1996) when Western Hills decided that guys had to wear polo shirts (collars) during regular school hours. Everybody grumbled and complained...but for the most part, we did.
Just my opinion...but if your school regulates any part of your wardrobe...they're violating the First Amendment. Which is okay actually as long as it is on the District's Private Property (sadly enough). But why not just go full bore and say it's must be khaki and white polos.
It’s going to come to that eventually anyways. Maybe they'll ban push-up bras for girls. "Boys...no more boxer-briefs...the girls can't take it anymore."
Here's the story:
(CBS) ARLINGTON, Texas With a new school year about to begin, some female students in one Texas school district may have to rethink their wardrobes.Teen fashions often leave parents a little disgruntled. Arlington Independent School District parent Frances Henson said, “I'm thinking that our daughters are growing up a little bit too fast these days.�
Arlington School Board members agree with parents and this summer, they adopted an unusual amendment to the student dress code.
The new dress code reads, in part, “The display of cleavage is unacceptable. Low cut blouses, tops, sweaters, etc. with plunging necklines are not allowed."
“It's gotten bad enough that, unfortunately, our young males are looking at more than their English book, their speech book, their science book,� says school board president Sherri Wade. “And it's kind of nice to have something left to the imagination.�
Even some teenagers agree there is a problem. “I think it's good that they're doing it,� said student, Tyler Edwards.
Others students say it makes back-to-school shopping more difficult. “I just have to be more careful with what shirts I buy. Change my style a little,� said student, Maria Lopez.
While most parents support the new rule, some worry that enforcing it could be a challenge. “I think that's going to be a little tricky, because it puts a little bit of a policeman approach to the educators, and they really need to focus more on teaching,� said Tom Pederson, AISD parent.
The school board president says they'll do both… and in time, she says, the no cleavage rule will be no problem.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Meeting the parents
August 4, 2006First off....you have to understand.
I'm wildly superstitious. Have always been. I'll stop at the sight of a black cat. I don't walk under ladders. Look both ways before crossing the street. Yada Yada.
And since every girlfriend I've ever taken home to mom and dad has broken up with me....it must be my parents.
Nervous laughter..hahahaha....just kidding.
So Courtney and I are on the way to Fort Worth for a nice date...and before we even left, I had this crazy idea.
What if I called my parents, and asked them to meet us at whatever restaurant and didn't tell her. Then acted all surprised when my parents showed up...that'd be great!
Then I quickly came to my senses. That wasn't a good idea at all. Parents are something you have to mentally prepare for. I mean, not long after I met her dad, he asked me for my telephone number and address. I gave it to him, albeit hesitantly, and started saying my zip code too.
"Whoa there, I'm not going to be mailing you a letter or anything son," he said.
More nervous laughter.....aaaaaaaaand I'm pretty sure I started sweating profusely.
So of course, my parents could have possibly been a challenge for her. I mean, I'm the product of their first attempt at child-rearing. And if you know me at all, that probably makes more sense.
Well, I tell her the story about trying to maybe spring my parents on her as we're driving towards Fort Worth, and she goes "That's a good idea, call them!!" She was actually EAGER to meet them. Panic nearly set in.
So I called my mom. Of course, she was jokingly mad that I was trying to sneak Courtney into town and not tell her. Totally not the case at all. But I invited my mom, and my two sisters to come to downtown (Dad was off playing golf, go figure).
In my head, I'm screaming "dear lord...what have I done."
So Courtney and I are walking hand-in-hand up the block towards the place, and I see both my sisters already standing outside the door looking for us. April, 24, puts her hands to her face like she's got binoculars and looks right at us. Kristin, 19, starts jumping up and down and waving like a maniac and screaming "HI JASON!!"
This.....ladies and gentleman....is how Courtney is introduced to my family.
It probably couldn't have been more perfect. But as we approach the intersection, something caught my eye.
It was a guy...wearing white capri pants. Not shorts. Not long shorts. Not short pants. Capri....Pants. A guy.
I couldn't contain myself. I ran into Risky's BBQ and grabbed my sisters so they could come out and laugh at this wierdo with me. Kristin is looking the wrong way up the street and Courtney goes "NO....that guy!" Probably loud enough to where he could hear us. This is my life. The four of us laughing our butts off. Making fun of people is just in my genes.
Courtney fit in perfectly already.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
The Unthinkable.
August 3, 2006Okay, Okay...I've been a bit cryptic on here about a girlfriend.
People I've ran into are starting to ask questions....soooo.
If you don't wanna read a bunch of mushy girlfriend stuff, you oughta stop right about now.
Her name is Courtney Longcrier. She's 22, just graduated from Midwestern State. She's an opera singer.
I know...an opera singer and a professional photographer together. Maybe two of the biggest egos in the entire city. I guess that's why we're perfect for each other.
Anyhow...I've known her for a while, but never really had a chance to connect. She always had some pesky boyfriend. Duh, just my luck. I'd run into her around town every now and then and always made it a point to say hello and be nice.
That karma eventually paid itself back.
Out of the blue, we started e-mailing back and forth, and I invited her in a friendly group-type setting to come out and see the Eli Young Band at Outskirts a month ago. She brought her "wing-man" of course, and all my friends bailed out on me. We chatted and listened to the band. I eventually got up the nerve to make her get out on the floor and dance with me.
We weren't the best two-stepping couple out there, but that didn't matter. It was fun. More fun than I've had in a long time around this town. The chemistry was more than apparent. We've pretty much been inseparable ever since. I asked her to be my girlfriend on July 6th.
____________________________________
So...we've come all this way, and Tuesday, neither of us had to work. I came up with an extremely half-cocked plan to whisk away to Fort Worth for a nice date (as I don't think you can have a truly nice date in Wichita Falls).
On the way down, we both decided that I should call my parents and sisters and invite them to dinner too. The official "Meet the family" dinner date loomed. Courtney didn't know it, but I was really nervous actually. I hadn't taken a girl home to meet the folks since I've been in Wichita Falls (5 years). This was a big...big deal to me.
Dun dun dooooooooon!!!!!!!
*more later
Posted by Jason Palmer at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
